The Little Prince
by flames04
Summary: Matthew is a pilot who crashes in the middle of the Sahara Dessert and meets a strange boy from another planet. Based on the book, "The Little Prince". DISCONTINUED.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia, the characters or even the plot. Don't sue me, please. : _ ;**

**Author's Note: This is a crossover of 'The Little Prince' and Hetalia. I've actually had this idea for a long time. It just came to me during that time when my class watched a play of 'The Little Prince' but it was really bad that even the teacher regretted taking us there... Anyway! I'll be posting the next chapters immediately and I might merge some chapters but it depends, yknow.**

**Hope you enjoy and I'll be applying a few changes but I'll try to keep the style akin to the original. **

**Chapter 1**

My name is Matthew Williams. I am about to tell you my strange encounter with a certain someone but before all that let me tell you a little more about myself.

I'm the kind of person that lives a relatively quiet life and a lot of people tend to... overlook me.

When I was six years old, I saw an amazing picture book called _True Stories From Nature_. In it, I saw a picture of a boa constrictor in the midst of swallowing a small animal.

"Boa constrictors swallow their prey whole, without chewing it. After that they are not able to move, and they sleep through the six months that they need for digestion." It said in the book.

I pondered deeply about the adventures in the jungle. After some time, I took out my pencil and made my first drawing.

I showed the drawing to the grown-ups and asked them if it frightens them. They answered with:

"Frighten? Why should anyone be frightened by a hat?"

My drawing was not of a hat but a boa constrictor digesting an elephant! The grown-ups didn't understand it at all so I made another drawing showing the inside of it so they could understand.

This time, they advised me to put away the drawings of a boa constrictor and devote myself to geography, history, arithmetic and grammar. At an early age, I gave what could have been a wonderful career as a painter. I was so disappointed by the two drawings...

Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves, and it is tiresome for children to always explain things to them.

Then, I chose another profession, and learned to pilot planes. Geography became very useful for me, indeed! At a glance, I can differentiate China from Arizona. It's very useful if you get lost in the night.

I've met a lot of great people who have been concerned with matters of consequence. I've spent a lot of time with grown-ups and it has made me observe them in time. Honestly, it hasn't really improved my outlook on them.

Whenever I meet someone who seems perceptive, I try to experiment and show them my first drawing, which I've always kept. I find out if that person is one of true understanding or not. Sadly, I would always get the answer:

"That is a hat"

If that is so, I wouldn't talk to that person about boa constrictors, or forests, or stars. I'd bring myself down to his level. We would talk about bridges, golf, politics, and neckties. The grown-ups would be greatly pleased to have met a sensible man.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

I lived my life alone, without anyone I could really talk to. Six years ago, my plane had an accident at the Sahara Desert. Something was broken in my engine. I had with me neither a mechanic not any passenger. I tried to repair it on my own. It was a question of life and death; I barely had enough water to last a week.

On the first night, I slept on the sand, a thousand miles from civilization. It scared me at how isolated I was here. Thus you can understand my amazement when I was awakened by a little voice.

"Hey, Hey! Draw me a sheep!"

"W-what?"

"Draw me a sheep!"

I jumped to my feet, absolutely surprised. I blinked my eyes, looked carefully around me. It was then I saw a most extraordinary small person examining me with great seriousness. I'd show you the portrait I drew of him but it's kinda pathetic so better not. For the record, it's not my fault since I stopped drawing when I was six so I only know how to do boas!

Now, my vision was adjusting to my glasses. Let's not forget here that I crashed in a desert that could very well be miles off of humanity. Yet, the man in front of me seems neither lost in the sands nor does he look fatigued from famine or thirst. He didn't seem at all concerned that he was in the middle of a desert. Now that I think about it, he somewhat looks a little like myself.

When I finally gained my voice, I said:

"Wait- what are you doing here?"

He spoke slowly as if saying the most important thing in the world.

"Draw me a sheep!"

This was a very strange request but I obliged nonetheless. Absurd as it might be, I took out a sheet of paper and a fountain pen. I remembered how my studies had been concentrated on geography, history, arithmetic, and grammar, so I told him that I didn't know how to draw.

"Doesn't matter. Just draw me a sheep!"

I had never drawn a sheep so I drew him the picture that I often draw, the boa constrictor from the outside. It shocked me that he said,

"No, man! I don't want an elephant in a boa constrictor! A boa's too dangerous and an elephant is too much of a drag! Draw me a sheep!"

So then I drew it and showed it to him.

"This sheep is sick and weak. Make me another one!"

I made another.

He smiled and said:

"That isn't a sheep! It's a ram, look at the horns."

I drew another but it was also rejected. He said:

"It's too old. I want one that'll live forever!"

I was starting to get irritated. I was in a hurry to fix my plain so I draw him something else.

"This is only the box. The sheep you asked for is inside!" I reasoned out. I was surprised to see him smile.

"This is it! Hey, do you think this sheep needs a lot of grass?"

"Uhhm, why?"

"'Cus back in my home everything is small."

"There will definitely be enough grass for him. The sheep I drew is small, after all."

"It's not that small.. Oh- look! It's sleeping!"

That was how I met this boy named Alfred Jones.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

It took some time for me to learn his name. Alfred was so hyperactive and asked so many questions. Though, he never seemed to hear the ones I ask him. I'm not sure if he's intentionally ignoring me or is just active. Eventually, things started to reveal itself little by little.

For instance, when he first saw my plane he asked:

"What's that, Mattie?" I merely ignore the nickname for it seems he's sticking to it whether I like it or not.

"It's an airplane. It flies through the skies." It made me a little proud to say that I could fly. He cried out.

"WOAH! You dropped from the sky!"

"Yes"

"Oh! That's funny!" Then Alfred broke into laughter, which irritate me very much. I'd like my misfortunes to be taken seriously. Then he added:

"So, you're from the sky too, huh? Which planet?" At that moment I caught a gleam of light in the impenetrable mystery of his presence; and I demanded abruptly:

"You're from another planet?" He didn't reply but just nodded without taking his eyes off my plane.

"You might not have come from very far." And he sank into a state of daydreaming. Taking out the sheep from his pocket, he buried himself in the contemplation of his treasure. You can imagine how curious I was about the 'other planets'.

"Alfred, Where do come from? What do you mean by 'where I live'? Where do you plan on taking your sheep?"

He thought about it for a while before he said:  
>"You know what's so good about your box? The sheep could use it as a house."<p>

"That's true. And if you want, I can give you a string that can serve as a leash." He was shocked by this.

"A leash? That's a weird idea."

"But if you don't, he'll wander off and get lost." He broke into a fit of laughter.

"Where do you he's gonna go?"

"Anywhere. It'll just keep going ahead."

Then he said earnestly:

"It doesn't matter! My place is so small anyway!"

With a tinge of sadness he said:

"Straight ahead of him... nobody can go very far..."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

I thus learned a second fact of great importance:

The planet Alfred came from was no bigger than a house!

It didn't really surprise me that much. I knew very well that aside from the planets that we have given names, there are hundreds and thousands more that cannot be seen by the mere telescope. When an astronomer discovers one of these he doesn't give it a name, but just a number. Like, "Asteroid 347".

I have a serious reason to believe that the planet from which he came from is the asteroid called B-612. This asteroid has only been seen once through a telescope by a Turkish astronomer in 1909.

Upon the discovery, he presented it to the International Astronomical Congress in a demonstration. He was in a turkish costume, complete with a white mask, but nobody believed what he said. Grown-ups are just like that...

Fortunately, a turkish dictator made a law that his subjects should change to European costume, so in 1920, the astronomer gave his demonstration again, dressed with impressive style and grace. This time, they accepted his report.

If I have told you these details about the asteroid, it is on account of the grown-ups and their ways. When you tell them you have made a new friend, they never ask questions about essential matters. They don't ask: "What does his voice sound like? What games does he love? Does he collect butterflies?" but they demand, "How old is he? Does he have any brothers? How much does he weigh? How much does his father make?" Only from these figures do they think they have learned anything about him.

If you were to say to the grown-ups:

"I saw a beautiful house made of rosy bricks and geraniums on the windows and doves on the roof." They wouldn't get any idea about the house. But if you say, "I saw a house that cost $20,000." They would exclaim:

"What a pretty house that is!"

As so, you might say to them:

"The proof that the little prince existed is that he was charming, that he laughed, and that he was looking for a sheep. If anybody wants a sheep, that is a proof that he exists."

And what good telling them that do? They would shrug and treat you like a child. But, if you say:

"He came from the Asteroid B-612." Then, they would be convinced and leave you in peace.

They're like that. We must not hold it against them. Children should always show great forbearance towards grown-ups. Certainly, for us who understand life, figures are a matter of indifference.

I would have liked to start this story off like those in fairy tales. I should have said, "Once upon a time there was little prince named Alfred who lived on a planet that was barely bigger than himself and needed a sheep..."

To those who understand life, that would have given a greater air of truth to my story. I don't anyone to read my book carelessly. I have suffered too much sorrow in putting down these memories. Six years have passed since he went away from me, with his sheep. I'll describe him here so that I won't forget him. To forget a friend is too sad. Not everyone has had one, that I understand very much.

It's for that reason that I bought a box of paints and pencils. It's hard to take up drawing now, at my age. Especially since, I haven't made any pictures besides the boa constrictors from the inside and out. But, I'll try to make my portraits as real as possible. I can't guarantee much though.

I tried making a lot of drawings but I always tend to make a lot of mistakes. He's too small or too short. Color of his clothes aren't right. I tried to do the best image I can of Alfred.

He never really explained much to me. He probably thought I was like him but I don't see a sheep through a box like he did. Maybe I'm getting too old.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

With each passing day, I would learn something about Alfred's planet, his departure, and his journey. This information would come by chance, as it might just slip off from his thoughts. It was in this way that I heard about the catastrophe of the baobabs.

This time, I had the sheep to thank, for the little prince asked me abruptly.

"So it's true, that sheep eat little bushed?"

"Yes, that's true."

That's great, then!"

I don't really get why it's so important that sheep eat little bushed. But he added:  
>"Does that mean they eat baobabs, too?"<p>

I pointed out that baobabs are not little bushed but in fact, trees as big as castles; and that even if he took a herd of elephants, they would not eat a single baobab. The thought of the elephants made him laugh.

"We'd have to put them on top of each other!"

But he made a wise comment:

"Before they grow so big they start out small, right?"

"That's correct." I said. "But why do you want the sheep to eat little baobabs?"

He answered me immediately. "Oh, come one!" as if speaking about something obvious.

It as then I learned, there on the planet he lived good plants and bad plants. As a result, there were good seeds from good plants and bad seeds from bad plants. They sleep deep within the earth's darkness until one of them is seized with the desire to wake. Then the little seed grow and begin to spread it's twigs towards the sun. But when it's a bad plant, you must uproot it the moment you realize it.

There were some terrible seeds on Alfred's planet; they were the seeds of the baobab. The planet was infested with them. A baobab is something you will never ever get rid once it has grown big enough. It spreads over the entire entire. It bores clear through it with it's roots. If the planet is as small as he says and the baobabs are too many, it would split it in pieces!

"It's a matter of discipline, actually." he said. "When you're done with your own personal things, you have to take of your planet. You have to make sure to pull up the baobabs immediately after recognizing them since they look a lot like the rose bushes, y'know. It's a lot of work but it's not that hard." he added with a proud smile.

One day, he said to me:

"You should make a beautiful drawing so that the kids where you live can see how all this is! It could really be useful to them if they ever thought of traveling."

"Sometimes," he added. "there's no harm in putting a piece of work for another day. But if it's baobabs we're talking about then it just spells catastrophe. I know a planet inhabited by a lazy man. He forgot about three little bushes..."

As the little prince described it, I made a drawing of the planet. I don't want to sound like I'm lecturing or anything but the danger of baobabs is so little understand. Such risks by anyone who might get lost on an asteroid, that for once I break through my reserve.

"Children," I say. "watch out for baobabs!"

My friends, like myself, have been coping with this problem for a long time, without ever knowing it; so it is for them, that I worked hard on this drawing of baobabs. The lesson I tell you now is worth all the trouble it has cost me.

One may ask, "Why aren't the other drawings of mine as magnificent and impressive as the drawing of the baobabs?"

This is simple, I tried. The other haven't been successful. When I made the drawing of the baobab, I was inspired greatly.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Oh, little prince! Little by little, I'm starting to understand the secrets of your sad life... For a long time, your only entertainment is looking at the sunset. I learned that on the mourning of the fourth day when you said.

"I really like sunsets. C'mon, let's go look at one now!"

"But we have to wait." I said.

"Wait for what?"

"The sunset? It's not time for it yet."

Alfred seemed surprised at first then just laughed to himself.

"Oh right! My bad! I thought I was back at my own planet."

Just so everybody knows, when it's noon in the United States, it's sunset over at France.

If we could fly to France in a minute, then he could see the sunset. Unfortunately, France is too far away for that. But on Alfred's planet, all you need to do is move your chair a few steps. You can see the daw end and the twilight falling whenever you like.

"One time," he said, "I saw the sunset forty-four times!"

"Y'know, when someone is sad, they enjoy the sunset..." he added.

"Were you sad, then?" I asked, "on the time with forty-four sunsets?"

He didn't reply...


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

On the fifth day-again, thanks to the sheep-the secret of the little prince's life was revealed to me. Without anything to leading up to it, as if the question had been born of long and silent contemplation on his problem, he demanded:

"A sheep- if it eats little bushed, does that mean it eats flowers too?"

"A sheep" I answered, "eats anything in it's reach."

"Even flowers with thorns?"

"Yes, even the ones with thorns."

"Then what good are the thorns then?"

I don't know. At the moment, I was busy trying to unscrew a bolt that was stuck in my engine. I was very worried, for it was clear to me that the breakdown of my plane was extremely serious. And, I had little drinking water left that I had to fear the worst.

"The thorns- what are they for?"

Alfred never lets go of a question, once he had asked it. As for me, I was upset over that bolt so I just said the first thing that came to mind.:

"The thorns are of no use! Flowers have thorns just for spite!"

"Oh!"

There was a moment of silence. Then the little prince flashed back at me, with a kind of resentfulness:

"I don't believe you! Flowers are weak. They're naïve. They reassure themselves the best they can. They think their thorns are terrible weapons..."

I didn't answer. At that moment I was saying to myself: "If this bolt still won't turn, I'm going to knock it out with the hammer." Again, the little prince disturbed my thoughts.

"And you actually believe that the flowers-"

"Oh no!" I cried. "No, no no! I don't believe anything. I answered you with the first thing that came into my head. Don't you see- I'm very busy with matters of consequence!" He stared at me, thunderstruck.

"Matters of consequence!" He looked at me there, hammer in hand, fingers black with grease, bending over an object seemed extremely ugly to him.

"You talk just like the grown-ups!:

That made me a little ashamed, but went on relentlessly:

""You mix everything up... You confuse everything..."

He was really angry now. He tossed his golden hair in the breeze.

"I know a planet where there is a red-faced gentleman. He has never smelled a flower. Never looked at a star. All day, he says over and over, just like you, 'I am busy with matters of consequence!' And that makes him swell up with pride. But he's not a man- he is a **mushroom!"**

"A what?"

"A mushroom!"

Alfred was now pale with rage.

"The flowers have been growing thorns for millions of years. For millions of years, the sheep have been eating them all the same! And it's not a matter of consequence to try to understand why the flowers go to so much trouble to grow them which are never useful to them? Is the battle between sheep and and the flowers not important? Is it not more of a consequence than a fat red-faced gentleman's sums? And if I myself know one flower which is so unique in the world, which grows nowhere but on my planet, but which one little sheep can just eat with a single bite, without me noticing- Oh! You don't think that's important?"

His face turned from white to red as he continued:

"If someone loves a flower, of which just one single blossom grows in all the millions of stars, it's enough to make him happy to just look at the stars. He can say to himself, 'Somewhere my flower is there...' But if the sheep eats the flower then all his stars would darken... You think that's not important?"

He could say nothing more. His words were choked by sobbing.

Night time arrived. I let the tools drop from my hand. Of what moment now was my hammer, my bolt, or thirst or death? One one star, one planet, the Earth, there was a little prince to be comforted. I took him in my arms, I rocked him. I said:

"You beloved flower is in no danger. I'll draw you a muzzle for your sheep. I'll draw you a railing to put around the flower. I'll-"

I don't know what else to say to him. I felt awkward and blundering. I don't know how I could reach him, where I could overtake him and go on hand in hand with him once more.

It's such a secret place, the land of tears.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: I don't feel comfortable with the contents of this chapter...**

**Chapter 8**

I soon learned more about this flower On the little prince's planet, the flowers had always been simple. They had only one ring of petals; they took up no room at all; they were a trouble to no one. One morning they would appear and by night they would have faded away peacefully. But one day, a seed blown from the unknown, a new flower had come up. Alfred watched it very closely over this small sprout which wasn't like any other on his planet. It might have been a new kind of baobab.

The shrub soon stopped growing, and began to get ready to produce a flower. Alfred, who was present at the first appearance of a huge bud, felt at once that some sort of miraculous appearance must emerge from it. But the flower was not satisfied to complete the preparations for his beauty.

Out of strange judgement, Alfred named his rose Arthur. The two seem to have had some sort of untold agreement for the flower has adapted the name given to him. He said that the name just felt right for the flower. How he managed to distinguish it's gender, I'll never know. But, I won't dwell too much on that.

He would become so concerned with arranging his petals. Despite this, the petals still end up being sort of messy but somehow it only made the flower look that much more radiant. He adjusted his petals one by one. Alfred mentioned that the flower seemed to have ridiculously thick layers of petals.

One morning, exactly at sunrise, he showed himself. After working with all this painstaking precision, he yawned and said:

"Ah! I hope you'll excuse me; my petals are still disarranged..."

Alfred couldn't restrain his admiration:

"Woah! You're so... beautiful!"

"E-eh? Idiot! Don't just say those kinds of things from out of the blue!"

He found it quite adorable that the flower got so flustered with a mere complement but bluntly voices out insults to hide it. It made him excited to know more of Arthur.

"I believe it's time for breakfast." he added hastily.

"Oh right!" Alfred went to look for a sprinkling can with water. "Better?" The flower would nod and say nothing more. The little prince would do this in a daily basis, not really minding much of the silence. Occasionally he would strike a conversation with Arthur. For a flower, he was quite witty.

Eventually, Arthur became more comfortable in Alfred's presence. But, the flower also started showing signs of being a little prideful which was a little difficult to deal with.

For instance, one day, he was talking about his four thorns and said:

"Ha! Let the tigers come with their claws!"

"There aren't any tigers on my planet," the little prince objected. "And, tigers don't eat weeds."

"I am not a weed!" he exclaimed.

"Oh uhm... sorry about that."

"I am not afraid of any tigers!" he went on, "but I have a horror for drafts. Would you perhaps have a screen for me?"

"A horror of drafts- that's some bad luck for a plant.." the little prince remarked, and added to himself "This flower is very complex creature."

"At night, I want you to put me under a glass globe. It's very cold here. Back where I came from-" he interrupted himself. He had come in the form of a seed. He couldn't have known of other worlds. Embarrassed over having himself be caught on the verge of such a naïve lie. He coughed a few times to cover up her previous statement.

"The screen?"

"I was just about to look for it..."

Alfred, in spite of all the good will that was inseparable from hi love, had come to doubt Arthur. He had taken seriously words which were not important and it made him very unhappy.

"I shouldn't have listened to him." he confided to me one day. "One shouldn't listen to the flowers. You should just look at them and breathe their fragrance. Mine perfumed my entire planet. This tale of claws disturbed me so much and only filled my heart with tenderness and pity..."

"Y'know what, I don't get anything! I should have judged by deeds instead of words. he casts his radiance all over me. I never should have run away from him... I should have seen the subtly affection. Flowers are so inconsistent! But, I was too young to know how to love him..."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

I believe for his escape, he took advantage of the migration of wild birds. On the morning of his departure, he put his planet in perfect order. He cleaned out his active volcanoes. There were two active volcanoes; they were very useful in heating his breakfast. He also had one volcano that was extinct but he just said, "You'll never know!", so he cleaned out that one too. If they were cleaned out, volcanoes would burn slow and steadily, without any eruptions. Volcanoes eruptions are like fires in a chimney. On earth, we are definitely much too small to clean out our volcanoes. That's why they cause a lot of trouble for us.

Alfred also pulled up, with a sense of dejection, the last seeds of the baobabs. He knows that he never wants them to return. But for that last moment, those familiar tasks seemed very precious to him. When he watered the flower for the last time and prepared to place him under a glass globe, he realized that he was close to tears.

"Goodbye..." he said to the flower. But Arthur made no answer.

"Goodbye." he said again.

"I'm sorry," he said, barely audible. "Try to be happy..." Alfred was surprised with the absence or reproach. He stood there, bewildered, the glass globe was held mid-air. He didn't understand this sweet tone.

"Of course, I love you.." the flower whispered. "It's my fault that you don't know... Though, you have been just as oblivious. Forget the glass globe, I don't want it anymore."

"What about the wind-"

"The cold won't be so bad. I'm a flower, the night air will be good to me."

"But the animals-"

"One must endure a few caterpillars if they wish to see the butterflies, no? I hear they're beautiful. As for the large animals- well, I'm not afraid of them. I have my claws." and he showed his four thorns. Then he added:

"What are you still doing here? You wanted to leave, right? So go!"

For Arthur didn't want Alfred to him cry. He was too proud for that...


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Alfred found himself in the neighborhood of the asteroids 325, 326, 327, 328, 329, and 330. He went to visit them so that he can learn more.

The first of them was inhabited by a king. The king looked very strange, he thought. He had white hair and red eyes that Alfred had never seen before. Clad in royal blue and ermine, he was seated upon a throne which was at the same time both simple and majestic.

"Aha! The awesome King Gilbert sees one of his subjects!" exclaimed the king, once he saw the little prince.

The little prince asked himself:

"How could he recognize me if we've never met before?"

He didn't know how the world is so simple for kings. To them, all men are subjects.

"What's your name, kid?" the king asked, his pride swelling at, finally, having someone to rule over.

"Uhhm... it's Alfred."

"Hm! Well Alfred, aren't you lucky to be in the presence of a king as awesome as me!"

"I guess so..." The little prince noticed that the planet was crammed by the king's robe. He was a little tired so he couldn't help himself from yawning.

"Hey! Y'know it's rude to yawn in the presence of a king." the king said to him. "I forbid you to do it!"

"Eh? But I can't help it." replied the little prince, a little embarrassed. "I came from a long journey and I haven't gotten any sleep since..."

"Hm... well, I grant you permission to yawn then."

"**Piyo! Piyo!" **Alfred heard a strange chirping sound. He saw a ball of yellow appeared from underneath the King's robe. It then flew on to the his shoulder.

"Ah! I almost forgot! You must meet Gilbird. He's my pet, and the most awesomest pet is he!"

"Piyo!" Gilbird chirped. "Come! Say hello to my pet. I order you!" The little prince went over and pet the little bird. It gave a happy chirp and flapped it's wings in glee.

For what the king fundamentally insisted upon was that his authority is to be respected. He tolerated no disobedience. He was an absolute monarch. Because he was very good, he made his orders somewhat reasonable.

For example, he would say:  
>"If I ordered a general to change into a sea bird, if he disobeys it then it's my fault not his. It's an impossible request after all."<p>

"May I sit down?" came a timid inquiry from the little prince.

"I order you to." the king answered him, red eyes gleaming with pride.

But Alfred was wondering... the planet was so small, what could this king possibly rule?

"Sire," he said to him, "If you don't mind me asking, what do you rule over?"

"Everything!" said the king, with magnificent simplicity. "Piyo Piyo!" Gilbird chirped happily.

"Everything?" The king gestured to his planet, other planets, and the stars.

"Woah! All that?"

"Yes. I'm just that awesome, you see." For his rule was not only absolute: it was also universal.

"And the stars listen to you?"

"Of course!" "Piyo!" the king and his pet exclaimed. "They obey instantly. Their awesome king doesn't tolerate insubordination."

Such power was a thing for the little prince to marvel at. If he has that kind of power, he could watch the sunset as many times as he want! Not forty-four times, but seventy-two, maybe even a hundred or two, without ever having to move his chair. He felt a little sad after remembering his planet so he mustered up the courage to ask the king for a favor:

"If you don't mind... can you ask the sun to set..."

"If I ordered a general to fly from flower to flower like a butterfly, or write a tragic drama, or turn himself into a sea bird,if the general didn't carry out the order, which one of us will be wrong?" the king demanded, "Him or me?"

"You" Alfred said firmly.

"Exactly. Accepted authority rests first of all on reason. If you ordered your people to go jump into the sea, they'll rise up against you. People listen to me because my orders are reasonable."

"Then my sunset...?" the little prince reminded him.

"You'll have your sunset. I command it! But according to my science of government, I'll wait until conditions are favorable."

"When will that be?"

"Hmm..." replied the king, before saying anything else he took out a bulky almanac.

"What do you think Gilbird?" he asked the yellow bird.

"Pi piyo."

"Ah! Right! It'll be this evening, about twenty minutes to eight. That's when you'll see the sunset."

The little prince yawned. He was regretting his lost sunset, and he was starting to get bored.

"Well since there's nothing left for me to do here, I'll be leaving now." he said to the king.

"Huh? Wait- don't go!" said the king, who was very proud of having a subject. "I'll uhh... make you a... a minister!"

"Minister of what?"

"Minister of- of Justice!"

"But there's nobody here to judge!"

"You don't know that!" the king said. "I haven't showed you my entire kingdom yet."

"But I've already seen it!" said the little prince, turning around to give one more glance to the other side of the planet. He saw that there was nobody there at all...

"Then you judge yourself," he answered. "You know what they say, judge yourself first before judging others. if you can do that then you are a man of true wisdom."

"Well, yeah... but I can judge myself anywhere. I don't need to stay on this planet." Alfred said. "I'm leaving."

"No." said the king.

"If Your Majesty wished to be obeyed," he said. "then give me a good reason why I should stay. If I were to be ordered to leave then the conditions are certainly favorable." the little prince said, a little smugly. The king didn't answer so Alfred just made way to leave.

"Grown-ups are very strange..." he said to himself.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

The second planet was inhabited by a conceited man with deep blue eyes and wavy blonde hair.

"Ohonhon~ Is that an admirer I see!" he exclaimed from afar, when he first saw the little prince. For people like him, all other men are admirers.

"Well now, to who do I owe the pleasure?" he asked.

"Good morning. I'm Alfred." the little prince answered. The conceited man tipped his hat and gave a bow. "Francis Bonnefoy" This man had wavy blond hair and deep blue eyes.

It was then that Alfred noticed the hate he wore, "That's an odd looking hat you're wearing."

"It is a hat for salutes," Francis replied. "It is to raise in salute when people acclaim me. Unfortunately, nobody ever passes this way."

"Uhhm, ok?" said the little prince, he didn't really understand what the man was going on about.

"Clap your hands." the conceited man told him. He did what he was told. Then, Francis raised his hat in a modest salute.

"This is way more fun than the visit with the king." Alfred said to himself. Again, he began to clap his hands, one against the other. Francis again raised his hate and saluted. This lasted for about five minutes until the little prince got bored with it.

"So, what do you do if you want to lower the hate instead of raising it?" he asked. But Francis did not hear him. Conceited people never hear anything but compliments.

"Do you admire me that much?" he demanded of the little prince.

"What does 'admire' mean?"

"To admire means that you think I am the handsomest,the best-dressed, the richest, and of course the most intelligent man on this planet!"

"But, you're the only person _on_ this planet!"

"Nevertheless, admire me all the same."

"I admire you, I guess." said the little prince, shrugging his shoulders. "What does it matter if I admire him anyway?" And the little prince went away.

"Grown-ups sure are weird..." he said to himself as he continued his journey.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

The next planet was inhabited by a tippler. This was a very short visit; however, it plunged the little prince into deep dejection.

"Hello there, sir...?" Alfred said. "Ludwig... who are you?" the tippler replied. He noticed he was just settled down with a collection of empty bottles and full ones scattered about.

"I'm Alfred, I was just passing by..." he paused for awhile and said: "If I may ask, what are you doing?"

"I am drinking," Ludwig replied as he took a swig from the bottle he's holding.

"Why are you drinking?" demanded the little prince.

"So that I may forget..." replied the tippler, a gloomy air hung around him.

"Forget what?" inquired the little prince, he felt somewhat sorry for him.

"Forget that I am ashamed." he confessed, hanging his head.

"Ashamed of what?" Alfred wanted to help him.

"Ashamed of drinking!"

"Ashamed of... drinking?"

"Ja..." Ludwig brought his speech to an end, he shut himself up in an impregnable silence. The little prince went away, puzzled.

"Grown-ups are really very, very odd." he said to himself and continued his journey.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

The fourth planet belonged to a businessman. This man was so occupied that he didn't even bother to raise his when Alfred arrived.

"Good Morning!" the little prince said to him.

"Three and two make five. Five and seven make twelve..." the man paid him no mind.

"Hello~" Alfred waved his hand in front of the blond businessman. The man looked at him with a slight glare. "Tsk! What? Who are you? I am very busy." said the businessman.

"I'm Alfred! And you are?"

"Vash Zwingli. Now, I have to get back to what I was doing..." and so Vash went back to counting to himself. "Twelve and three make fifteen. Fifteen and seven make twenty-two. Twenty-two and six make twenty-eight. Hm, so that makes it five hundred one million, six hundred twenty-two thousand, seven hundred thirty-one."

"Five hundred million what?" asked the little prince.

"What are you still doing here? I told you, I'm busy. What I'm doing is very important so if you don't mind, I have to stop getting side-tracked. Two and five make seven..."

"Five hundred one million of what?" repeated the little prince, who doesn't let a question go unanswered. Vash looked at him in the eyes and said:

"During the twenty-four years that I've been on this planet. I've only been disturbed three times. The first was when some goose fell from nowhere. It made such a noise that made me miscalculate four times! The second was when I got sick and this is the third! Now if you excuse me, five hundred one million-"

"Millions of what?" The businessman was fed up so he just decided on answering his questions.

"Do you see those-" Vash pointed to the sky. "the little shining things that put lazy men to sleep."

"The stars?" The man nodded in response. "And what do you with five hundred million stars?"

"Five hundred one million, six hundred twenty-two thousand, seven hundred thirty-one, to be accurate."

"What do you do with the stars?"

"Nothing. They're my property."

"You own the stars?"

"Yes"

"But I've met a king who-"

"Kings don't _own_; they _reign over_. It's different."

"And what's the point of owning stars?"

"I need to save them."

"Why do you need to save them?"

"So that in the future I won't run out."

"Run out?"

"Yes. Run out. One must preserve what he owns." Alfred couldn't really understand why you should horde something and leave it untouched but he set it aside, nevertheless.

"How does one own the stars?"

"Who owns them?"

"I dunno. Nobody, I guess."

"Then it is mine now. I claim it now."

"That's it?" Vash nodded in response.

"When you find something that is left unattended to, it is yours. You can choose to make use of it or not. Likewise, it also your decisions if you choose to continue looking for it's owner, if there ever was. When you get an idea, take out a patent on it and it will be officially yours. I own the stars, for I have yet to encounter someone who can claim it."

"Well, that's true." said the little prince, "What do you with them, then?"

"I administer them." replied the blonde. "I count and recount them to keep them all in check. It's difficult but I am a man who is naturally interested in things of great importance."

Alfred wasn't satisfied with this answer.

"If I owned a scarf," he said. "I'd wear it around my neck and bring it wherever I go. If I owned a flower, I'd pluck it and take it away with me. But you can't pluck the stars."

"Yes, but I can store them in a bank."

"What do you mean?"

"That means that I write the amount of stars on a paper, store it in a drawer and lock it away."

"And that's it...?"

"It's enough."

"That sounds entertaining." the little prince thought, "Rather poetic, too. But it's not that important."

Alfred's idea of importance was very different from those of the grown-ups."

"I own a flower," he continued to converse with the businessman, "which I water everyday. I own three volcanoes, which I clean every week. It's useful for my flower. You don't need the stars and they surely don't need you."

The businessman was about to say something, but found that he had nothing to say. The little prince walked away.

"The grown-ups are certainly altogether extraordinary," he said simply, talking to himself as he continued on his journey.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

The fifth planet was very strange. It was one of the smallest, but there was just enough room for a street lamp and two lamplighters. The little prince couldn't think of any reasonable explanation as to why there was a lamplighter and a street lamp in a place with nothing and no one else but them. Nevertheless, he said to himself:

"It may be well that this man is absurd. But not as absurd as the king, conceited man, the business, or the tippler. At least their work had some sense in it. When they light the lamp, it's like they brought another star to life, or one flower. What a beautiful occupation, truly useful!"

When Alfred arrived on the planet he greeted the two lamplighters. They were twins. Identical, yet there were distinguishing features. They both had brown hair, yet the other was a shade darker. Although, both seemed to have a strange hair curl in different locations. One of the lamplighters spotted him before he could greet them.

"Veh~! Lovi, we have a guest!" said the chipper one.

"Good morning." Alfred said.

"Good morning! We've never had guests before! I'm Feliciano and this is my older brother Lovino."

"Feli! Stop getting distracted!" the other scolded

"Why did you just light up the lamp?" the little prince asked.

"We have orders," replied Lovino. "Good evening."

"What are the orders?"

"Lovi's is to light the lamp! Veh, good morning." And he put out the lamp again.

"Then why did you just put it out again?"

"Feli's orders are to put it out. Good evening."

"I don't get it." Alfred said.

"There's nothing to get." said the older brother. "Orders are orders."

"Good morning, veh!"

The took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat off their foreheads.

"Our job used to be reasonable. Feli puts the lamp out in the morning and I light it in the evening. We would have the rest of the day to relax and the whole night to sleep."

"And the orders have changed since then?"

"It hasn't." the younger said. "That's the problem!" the elder exclaimed.

"Year to year the planet has turned faster and faster, but the orders are still the same!"

"Then what?" Alfred asked.

"Veeeh... the planet spins every minute now. We don't have time for naps now..."

"It's such a hassle to have to light and out out every minute!"

"Hahaha! That's kinda funny! A day lasts a minute here!"

"It's not funny at all! It's already been a month since you got here." said Lovino.

"A month?"

"Thirty minutes, thirty days, a month. Good evening." and he lighted his lamp again.

As the little prince watched them, he felt compassion for the two who were so dedicated to their orders. He remembered the sunsets he watched by merely pulling up his chair. It made him want to help his friends.

"Hey I have an idea," he said. "I know how you can rest whenever you want."

"We always want rest." they both said. For it is possible for one to be hardworking and lazy at the same time. The little prince went on with his explanation.

"This planet is so small that it only takes fives steps to make it all around. To stay in the sunshine, you can walk slowly so if you want to rest just keep walking and the day would end with you.

"But we can't take naps if we're walking."

"Well that's just too bad."

"Veh... how unlucky." Feliciano said. "Good morning."

"Those two," Alfred said to himself. "they might be scorned by all the others: the king, the conceited man, the tippler, or the businessman. But out of all of them, they're the only ones who don't seem to be ridiculous. Maybe it's because they're thinking of something besides themselves."

He breathed a sigh of regret, and said to himself:

"Those two are the only ones out of them all who could have been my friends. But sadly, the planet's too small. They can barely fit in it let alone a third person."

What the little prince didn't confess was that he was sorry to leave because of all the sunsets this day would have.


End file.
